


Black Magic

by GwendolynGrace



Series: Blackstory [5]
Category: Alternity - A Harry Potter Alternate Universe, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter Alternity - Fandom
Genre: Blackstory, Canon Backstory, Canon Compliant, Gen, HP Alternity, RPG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4757756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GwendolynGrace/pseuds/GwendolynGrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Orion Black puts additional wards and protections around 12 Grimmauld Place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Written 2008-2010. This is one of a series of "Blackstory" - backstory about the Blacks - that I wrote while playing in the RPG, HP Alternity. The actions of the characters were approved by the other players at the time of writing. Because these stories take place before the point of divergence for the game universe, these are also largely canon-compliant.

1967

Sirius and Regulus waited in Father's office. Every night, Father gave them instruction in wand work with his own wand. Mother sometimes showed them things, when she was in a particularly good mood, but that was rare and irregular, not to be counted on. Father's lessons were anticipated by them both, sometimes with trepidation, more often eagerly, but consistently nonetheless.

'Why do you think he's late?' Regulus asked. He had wandered over to the shelves on the wall behind Father's desk. Occasionally he would hold a finger out over the spine of one, but then think better of it. One never knew which books on Father's shelves would protest if one handled them without permission.

'Maybe his meeting ran late,' Sirius suggested. 'Or maybe someone wanted to get a drink after.'

'You mean go to a pub?' Regulus verified. 'What are they like?'

Sirius shrugged. 'There are tables and a long counter, and lots of different things to drink.'

'Like juice?'

'No, spirits. Liquor.'

'Oh. Uncle Cygnus gave me a sip of his wine last Christmas,' Regulus declared. 'It tasted like sour berries.'

'Yeah. Beer tastes like sour wheat.'

'How do you know?'

'The boy Cousin Bellatrix brought over on New Year's, he let me try his. It was gross.'

'Oh.' Regulus considered that. 'But then why do they drink it? Wine and all?'

'Because it's a grown-up thing,’ Sirius told him dismissively. ‘Maybe not all of it's bad,’ he continued after a moment’s speculation. ‘But Mother says we're too young to appreciate it yet.'

'Well, I hope Father gets home before we're old enough to appreciate it. I want to show him my leviosa.'

'He'll be here,' Sirius assured his brother.

They waited another five minutes before the door opened. Father swept through it. He peered down at them as they jumped off the window seat to go greet him.

'Stand back, both of you,' he told them quietly. They took a step away. 'Have you been waiting all this time?' he asked, looking at the mantel clock.

'Father, can we work on the leviosa?' Regulus asked excitedly.

'It's polite to answer a question before asking another one, Regulus, and no, not tonight. Tonight, you're going to do something different.'

'What, sir?' Sirius asked on both their behalf.

'I've decided that it's time to put extra protections on the house. Downstairs are some gentlemen who will help me. I thought your mother was going to explain to you, but never mind. She said nothing?'

Sirius shook his head. Regulus said, 'Is Mother helping too? Can we help?'

'Your mother cannot be present for this spell. She has gone to visit your Aunt Druella. As for you, you will both go to Sirius' room - together - after you have completed your evening ablutions, which you have fifteen minutes to conduct. Then you will stay there for the duration of the night.'

The instruction was so abrupt and so unlike anything he had ever told them before that the boys exchanged a look of shock and disappointment before Sirius said, 'Are we in trouble, Father?' very tenuously.

'No. But I do not have time to explain tonight. Go up and get ready for bed.'

'Why can't we help?' Regulus asked petulantly.

Father frowned. For a moment, Sirius thought he might upbraid Regulus for his impertinence, but instead, Father crouched down to their level unexpectedly. 'You and your brother are the subjects of the spell,' he said quietly, 'so you will be helping by following my instructions and remaining in Sirius' room for the duration of the night.' He surprised Sirius further by taking hold of his wrist to draw him closer to Regulus and himself. 'I need you both in one place, in the house, but not where we will be conducting the ritual. Do you understand?'

'Yes, Father,' Sirius said gravely, although he was just as confused as his brother.

But it was evidently the right answer, for Father actually smiled a little. 'Good. Now, go on up and get ready for bed. I'll be up in fifteen minutes.'

The concept of Father coming to see them to bed was not unheard of, but sufficiently rare that it sent them both up the stairs in puzzled awe. 'What kind of spell do you think?' Regulus asked as they stood before the sink to clean their teeth.

'Protection, Father said.'

'I know, but what sort? Why can't we be there while it happens? And why can't Mother help - she's a qualified witch, too.'

Sirius pondered. 'Well, maybe she can't because she's a woman. Some magic is based on gender.'

'Go change,' Sirius told his brother when they'd finished brushing. He used the toilet, passing Regulus in the corridor. By the time he changed and his brother came in, they could hear their father's tread on the steps.

'Ready?' he asked them without any other greeting.

‘Yes, Father,’ Sirius said, a second ahead of Regulus.

‘No leaving this room, remember,’ Father ordered.

‘Yes, sir,’ they said, in unison this time.

‘In you get,’ Father told them, drawing back the coverlet so that they could scramble between the sheets. ‘Are you sure you’re ready? Regulus?’

‘I’m fine, Father,’ Regulus assured him.

‘Good.’ He tucked the duvet around Sirius’ chin. ‘Now, I’m going to place a protective charm on the door. It is imperative that you are both completely silent while I cast it. Yes?’

They nodded, as if both wishing to prove they could be silent.

‘Get ready, then,’ Father said. He tapped the light with his wand to extinguish it and shut the door.

Several moments passed. Sirius could hear Regulus keeping careful track of his breathing, breathing through his nose to make as little noise as possible. Sirius wiggled his toes under the covers, focusing his nervous energy there so that he made no other noise.

The door glowed bright orange suddenly. Regulus’ eyes widened and he half sat up. Sirius glared at him sharply. He was about to hold his hand up over Reg’s mouth when Reg did it himself, pressing his fingers to his upper lip. The glow washed over them, painting their faces the colour of candlelight, but without either flicker or heat of flame. After a few seconds more, the light faded.

‘Good night, boys,’ their Father said through the door. They heard his steps recede.

A few more moments passed before Regulus said, ‘Good job we didn’t have to hold perfectly still, too.’

‘Circe, yeah,’ Sirius agreed. ‘That portrait was the worst.’

Regulus giggled. ‘Mother was ready to put the petrificus on you, but it would have ruined the pose.’

‘Can’t help it,’ Sirius said. ‘Anyway, I thought you were going to shout out there, for a moment, when the door startled you.’

‘Didn’t startle me,’ Regulus protested, ‘I had to sneeze.’

‘Uh-huh,’ Sirius plumped his pillow and resettled.

‘Who do you suppose those men are, helping Father?’ Regulus asked sleepily.

Sirius thought. ‘Well, in the Far East, there are whole orders dedicated to really arcane, fantastic magic.’

Just as Sirius expected, Regulus responded to the promise of a story. ‘What kind of magic?’

‘Well,’ Sirius said, ready for the question, ‘combat, for one thing. They can do things like deflect spells with their hands, and they have quarterstaffs that they can use as wands, and these special knives and throwing stars that go wherever they want, no matter which direction they throw them. And they can run straight up walls, and across the tops of trees, and across water. And they can make themselves disappear.’

Although the room was dark with shadows, Sirius could see Reg’s eyes widen, the white around them visible in the dimness. ‘Without an invisibility cloak?’ he gasped.

‘Yeah,’ Sirius said, nodding. ‘They just pull darkness around them. They can camouflage themselves, too. So they match the wallpaper. And I read that they learn to walk so quietly that even cats couldn’t hear them.’

‘Whoa,’ Regulus commented. ‘And they’re all warlocks?’

‘They’re brothers,’ Sirius told him reverently. ‘They’re all dedicated to the brotherhood. It’s called Shao Lin.’

Regulus grew skeptical. ‘Where’d you read about it?’

‘There’s a book in the library. I’ll show you tomorrow.’

‘D’you think the men downstairs are Sh.. Shao Lins?’ Regulus asked.

‘No,’ Sirius admitted. ‘It’d be cool, though.’

‘Yeah.’ Regulus settled and sighed. ‘Then who are they really?’

‘Warlocks,’ Sirius said. ‘Maybe Illuminati. They’re from Prague, mostly. They specialise in big, complicated rituals. Or from the Conclave in Cairo.’

Regulus was quiet for a while. Sirius saw his brother’s eyes drift closed, and felt his own shutting as well. He was almost to the point of sleep when:

‘Sirius?’

‘Mm,’ Sirius grunted.

‘If we stay awake, do you think we’ll be able to hear?’

Sirius sighed. ‘No. Not unless they shout.’

‘I wish we could see it.’

‘Yeah,’ Sirius sighed.

‘Will Father explain it tomorrow? Could we ask him to show us what they did?’

‘Maybe. Usually, though, you know if Father wants us to know something, he tells us.’

‘I know. But he didn’t get cross, when I asked.’

‘I thought he was going to do,’ Sirius confided.

‘Me, too,’ Regulus agreed with a nervous laugh. ‘I wanted to take it back as soon as I said it. But he wasn’t cross.’ His disbelief was clear.

‘Yeah. I dunno. He knew that he was sort of springing it on us, though. Maybe he guessed we’d have questions.’

‘Well, if he guessed then he won’t be surprised if we ask about it, will he?’

‘Ask if you like,’ Sirius said, turning over.

‘Don’t you want to know?’ He heard Regulus prop himself on his elbow.

‘Course,’ Sirius scoffed, ‘but I don’t want Father to get cross, either.’

Regulus fell silent again after a small snort of either agreement or exasperation.

‘Well, maybe we could see what he’s like in the morning,’ Sirius offered, ‘and then if he seems like he’s in a good mood, we could ask. Politely,’ he emphasised.

‘Promise?’

‘If he’s in a good mood,’ Sirius reiterated.

‘Yes, but then, you’ll ask?’

Sirius rolled his eyes, even though Reg couldn’t see them. ‘Yes, all right. If he’s in a good mood, then I’ll ask him to tell us about it.’

Regulus flopped down on the pillow and pressed his forehead into Sirius’ back. Within minutes he was breathing evenly in slumber.

Sirius stayed awake a few minutes longer. He could just hear the murmur of voices downstairs, chanting rhythmically together, but he could not make out the words. The harder he tried to listen, however, the further away they sounded. At last, when they seemed to be coming to him from a great distance, he felt an inexplicable sense of peace, as if someone had wrapped the whole house in a cosy blanket. His brother’s small hands had found their way round his waist and shoulder, as if Sirius were the toy penguin Regulus had slept with up until only about a year ago. His light breaths alternated warm and cold on Sirius’ neck. Sirius opened his mouth to tell Regulus to turn over, but was asleep before the words formed.


End file.
